I love linguine with clam sauce...love it, love it, love it. I love it the traditional way, made with fresh clams. I love it the down and dirty way, made with chopped clams. But lately my favorite is the creamy way, made with tomatoes, baby clams, and, yep, cream. Cream makes it silky and decadent and, well, creamy.
Even better, this is one of those wonderful, quick recipes you can make on a Wednesday night when you only feel like spending 20 minutes on dinner, and it's going to come out like you were slaving away in the kitchen all afternoon. I don't know about you, but there's something SUPREMELY satisfying about whipping up a restaurant-quality supper in less time than it takes to watch Modern Family. (I love Modern Family, by the way. I completely identify with Claire. She and I would be best buds. If only she was a real person. Just saying.)
Anyway, one important note about this recipe. If you are making it in the summer, feel free to use whatever kind of tomato you want. If you are making it in the dead of winter, as I did with this particular picture, please use cherry tomatoes. Tomatoes in winter are a pale, tasteless shadow of their wonderful summer selves...except for cherry tomatoes. Somehow those manage to stay sweet and delicious all year long. And they are easier to cut up as well. Double win!!
Happy cream clam sauce!
Linguine with Creamy Clam Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 eight ounce can whole baby clams
1 cup cream
2 tablespoons cornstarch
12 ounces cooked linguine
1. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, parsley and tomatoes and cook for two minutes.
2. Add baby clams with their juice and cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Mix cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cool water and add to the sauce. Simmer another 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Toss sauce with cooked pasta, divide among plates, garnish with parsley and serve.
1 cup cream
2 tablespoons cornstarch
12 ounces cooked linguine
1. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, parsley and tomatoes and cook for two minutes.
2. Add baby clams with their juice and cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Mix cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cool water and add to the sauce. Simmer another 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Toss sauce with cooked pasta, divide among plates, garnish with parsley and serve.
Kate that looks so tasty..We all love clams here.
ReplyDeleteI thank god every day that cherry tomatoes are so damn tasty all year round! And I also thank him for these quick and classy weeknight meals you always make!
ReplyDeleteSounds yummy and so easy to throw together. We eat a lot of pasta because my husband is Italian and I'm always looking out for something different so thanks.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, let's try this one more time...
ReplyDeleteNext time you make this try that Italian trick of using some of the pasta water to thicken the sauce a bit and make it silky, instead of the cornstarch slurry. You just put the cooked pasta and some of the water in the pan with the sauce and toss like you did here. It works with tomato sauces, which are not inherently silky. ;)
My stomach doesn't love thickened sauces, with flour especially, but cornstarch lately, too, so I was thrilled to hear about this trick and find that it worked.
Huh, should have said, "I love tomatoes and cream on pasta!" I really do, so, this looks excellent.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely try the pasta water as thickener...I usually use it more as a loosener, but I'll give it a try in this scenario and see if it goes in the other direction...thanks! :)
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